Cheers Nexus76 that answers probably the only question I had left in that would my retail license status carry over.

I have seen people say it would but this the 1st time I have seen it confirmed by M$

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I found an article which linked to the site, and then I saw it has been updated today. Guess this info
was necessary to clarify lately due to so many doubts if you'd keep the portability of your retail license.
I guess nobody would buy a $200 dollar retail license which is bound to the hardware.
And for sure not even upgrade from a retail to a hardware-bound lic.

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Microsoft tells me that it will be possible to do so. And that a key part of this process is that it will save a product key tied to the previously upgraded PC or device in Windows Store. This is how Windows 10 will later know that the install is allowed: It’s “one of the benefits of the new delivery system,” a Microsoft representative told me.

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Meaning you'll be forced to use an MS Account on any PC/Device you upgrade.
Not good for me as I use multiple MS accounts on my PC for Work and Personal uses.

Meaning you'll be forced to use an MS Account on any PC/Device you upgrade.
Not good for me as I use multiple MS accounts on my PC for Work and Personal uses.

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They wrote you can use a migitaion key for reinstall and the iso comes pre-keyed, so there will be still a key to read out.
For the regular normalo users it has the benefits theres no need to know the key, for microsoft its better regarding
license reselling issues.

Or maybe Microsoft was just unconcious about this hardware binding thing:

Does Windows 10 require product activation?
Current Previews of Windows 10 require product activation. It is unknown at this time if the final release will require product activation.

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Also a post from Paul Thurrott has been deleted already at the topic Will I get a product key, can I get a product key?

But would it be a disadvantage to need a microsoft account for redownloading a pre-keyed windows 10 iso?
I guess not, apple does the same thing for their OS downloads.

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Yeah, the install won't be the problem.
The problem would be having to use the MS Account linked to that key to activate the PC/Device.
Which could get worse if you use the same email address on the 'Reserve Windows 10' app.

e.g. If I use my MS (Work) Account to reserve and upgrade to Windows 10 on my and my GF's PC's. Will I have to have that account on both PC's for them to activate

Yeah, the install won't be the problem.
The problem would be having to use the MS Account linked to that key to activate the PC/Device.
Which could get worse if you use the same email address on the 'Reserve Windows 10' app.

e.g. If I use my MS (Work) Account to reserve and upgrade to Windows 10 on my and my GF's PC's. Will I have to have that account on both PC's for them to activate

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No theres a different hardware hash for both machines, regardless of the account.
Having multiple hw-fingerprints shouldn't be a problem. At least their systems should get prepared to handle it *lol*

And if you think about it once more: how will microsoft deliver their retail licenses in local stores?
Using keys!

That's what I mean, a key to read out and input after re-installing using the migitation key will remain,
regardless of any account. The alternative was to press serialized DVDs, which is too expensive.
And who can be forced to login at first boot?

The big difference between apple and microsoft is:

You buy an apple device which enables you to download and install the free os x to a licensed device.
You buy a microsoft license which may not be invalid on a new device which isn't licensed by microsoft, except oem.

That's where a hardware license binding fails.

However it's possible to re-think this registration process, as there needs to be sent sensitive and unique hardware details additionally.
Imagine your PC get's a taceable, unique, branded machine that way.

Let's see what happens finally.

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What with 'pre-keys' and 'migitation keys' it seems overly complex to me, or maybe I'm just over thinking it

I'll wait and see, I tend to understand things better when I see them in action.
Hopefully these migitation keys will over ride the pre-keys, as theres no way we can D/L a 3gb file for every PC, Laptop and Tablet the family owns. On our crappy 'capped' connection.

Do you use a different O/S on your PC for work & personal use? If not surely any of the MS accounts will work?

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Different SKU's not OS's. At the moment I've got two profiles on my test laptop which I switch between.
The problem is if i'm on the work account I can't just access files on my the Onedrive, Xbox msg's or Music from my personal account, as most MS Metro apps only allow one login. Out of the work arounds I've found different profiles or a local login are the only ones that really work.

Different SKU's not OS's. At the moment I've got two profiles on my test laptop which I switch between.
The problem is if i'm on the work account I can't just access files on my the Onedrive, Xbox msg's or Music from my personal account, as most MS Metro apps only allow one login. Out of the work arounds I've found different profiles or a local login are the only ones that really work.

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Which leads to the assumption an account should not be required exactly, let's find out how they thought it.
But it's not hard to understand if you're connected to VPN and the OS makes a hash match check, it's a flaw.

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The "upgrade verification key" was just my translation from Chinese, guess it is simply a COEM key and MS gave it some new name(as usual LOL). If what I posted was real(it was extracted from OSG article), then win7/8.1 retail keys MSDN retail keys would also receive this COEM key just the same, i.e. bundled to device.

I have also seen something in this article about win7OEM upgrades, but sorry, couldn't talk about it.

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The info the OP posted would suggest that Windows 7 will receive the update without a COA sticker, which is a good thing for them with faded stickers. That'll help Microsoft dodge a bullet as I think that if a COA sticker was asked for prior to installing Windows 10 then their websites and phone lines would blow up. That wouldn't be the launch that Microsoft wants for their new version of Windows.

The licensing method sounds similar to Office 365 and Visual Studio, which is exactly what I'd expected. It could allow people to see which systems are activated with what key, easily transfer the licence and to activate Windows it would be as simple as logging into your Microsoft account of choice.

The info the OP posted would suggest that Windows 7 will receive the update without a COA sticker, which is a good thing for them with faded stickers. That'll help Microsoft dodge a bullet as I think that if a COA sticker was asked for prior to installing Windows 10 then their websites and phone lines would blow up. That wouldn't be the launch that Microsoft wants for their new version of Windows.

The licensing method sounds similar to Office 365 and Visual Studio, which is exactly what I'd expected. It could allow people to see which systems are activated with what key, easily transfer the licence and to activate Windows it would be as simple as logging into your Microsoft account of choice.

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That makes sense. In that case we are already getting used to such process by using Hotmail accounts to log into our systems linked to the cloud. It means this is going to be a cloud based activation in a nutshell.

Staff Member

That makes sense. In that case we are already getting used to such process by using Hotmail accounts to log into our systems linked to the cloud. It means this is going to be a cloud based activation in a nutshell.

What with 'pre-keys' and 'migitation keys' it seems overly complex to me, or maybe I'm just over thinking it

I'll wait and see, I tend to understand things better when I see them in action.
Hopefully these migitation keys will over ride the pre-keys, as theres no way we can D/L a 3gb file for every PC, Laptop and Tablet the family owns. On our crappy 'capped' connection.

Different SKU's not OS's. At the moment I've got two profiles on my test laptop which I switch between.
The problem is if i'm on the work account I can't just access files on my the Onedrive, Xbox msg's or Music from my personal account, as most MS Metro apps only allow one login. Out of the work arounds I've found different profiles or a local login are the only ones that really work.

Click to expand...

Got ya. I triple boot w7/w8/w10 using the one login and they all share the same data area.